Steinbach woman helps treat wildlife in South Africa

A woman from Steinbach had an incredible experience this summer, spending three weeks in South Africa, helping wildlife. 

“We dealt with 12 different species and 112 animals in total!” 

 How did Annikah Reimer get this opportunity? 

She was looking for options for volunteering with animals and came across Worldwide Vets. 

“I want to get into veterinary medicine, that would be an absolute dream of mine,” Reimer says. “And in order to get into vet school, you need some experience.” 

And what an experience this turned out to be.

Annikah Reimer helped relocate some zebra during her volunteer experience in South Africa this summer. (Photo submitted)

She was part of a wildlife conservation team, helping relocated animals, give vaccinations, and provide medical care for injured animals. 

“We got to relocate some zebra and I was actually sitting on top of a zebra in the back of a truck going 60 kilometers an hour, monitoring its breathing.” 

Reimer also got to work with rhinos, giraffes, wildebeest, and various types of antelope. 

Even though her volunteer experience lasted three weeks, she says the time passed quickly. 

@steinbach_online

Annikah Reimer had an incredible experience this summer, spending three weeks in Africa, helping wildlife. Here is a little snippet of that time. Hear about her experience by listening to the Country 107 Afternoon Show podcast on Podcastville on the Steinbach Online app or at the link in profile.

♬ Paper Birds - Jordan Halpern Schwartz

“I wish I was still there,” Reimer says. “My whole group, there was eleven of us there from all over the world, we all cried the last day because we had become a family. We had lived together for three weeks; we experienced such highs and a few lows. Losing an animal is heartbreaking and we experienced that as a group.” 

She hopes to have more experiences like this, but for now, Reimer will work on finishing an undergraduate degree in Bachelor of Science while still applying to vet schools. 

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